World Carfree Day 2009 Taking Place On 22nd September

By Sarah Briggs | Published September 15, 2009

Tuesday 22nd September 2009 is World Carfree Day, the day each year when people are urged to leave their cars at home and use alternative transport. Around the world, different events take place to spread the word about the importance of relinquishing our hold on oil powered transportation and the alternative methods of transportation and public transport services that are available.

As well as helping cut worldwide carbon emissions by reducing the amount of cars on the road, the day also aims to increase awareness of the importance of reducing the amount of single person car trips we make, by increasing the number of people travelling by bus, train, bike or on foot and encouraging more people to carshare where possible. Single occupant car journeys contribute significantly to pollution and the extra vehicles clogging up the roads create added congestion that can be the bane of many of our lives.

In Greenwich, London, the council is planning a day with fun activities and entertainment with the unlying aim of helping people find out about options and services available to them instead of travelling by car. Stoke-on-Trent City Council are also doing their bit to help promote travelling by bike, on foot or by bus, with a free voucher available by emailing [email protected] which will enable people in Stoke to purchase a day ticket for just £1 compared to the normal fee of £4.70.

Another option to reduce your reliance on 4 wheel transport is to use schemes such as ‘share-a-lift’, a Staffordshire based car share scheme that helps put people in touch who either work for the same employer or travel to and from the same location. So whether you’re taking the kids to school or on your way to work, ditch the car on 22nd September and embrace World Carfree Day. Perhaps with more demand and feedback car and bike schemes and public transport services will improve so cutting our car miles can become a reality for more people rather than a novelty for one day a year.